Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

A multi-conductor electrical connector for bridging electrical circuits between a hinged door and the fixed door frame. The connector consists of one or more bare printed circuits in the form of concentric arcs mounted on the door, together with a fixed set of contact members mounted on the door frame such that each fixed contact member is in continuous electrical contact with one of the concentric arcs of the printed circuit.

1451 Feb. 26, 1974 United States Patent Hansen [54] ELECTRICAL CONNECTORFOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Raymond Hansen, Elko, Nev.

1,373,577 8/1964 France...........,.,................ 339/4 lnventor:

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

Mar. 29, 1972 Appl. No.: 239,129

Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard 1.Podell [22] Filed:

[57] ABSTRACT v conductor electrical connector for bridging electricalcircuits between a hinged door and the fixed door frame. The connectorconsists of one or more A multi- [52] US Cl 339/4 [51] Int. H011 39/00bare printed circuits in the form of concentric arcs mounted on thedoor, together with a fixed set of RM 77 C ML 7 3 3 NE ,7 411 9 3 h c r.a e s f 0 M e .1 .F N 5 contact members mounted on the door frame suchthat each fixed contact member is in continuous electrical contact withone of the concentric arcs of the printed circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 339/4 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures3,701,071 Landman.........,....'.................. 3 105 869 Branch eta1. 3,362,005 1/1968 455 t i 1 a ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The object of this invention is to provide compactfatigue-free electrical connections between circuits mounted on a hingeddoor and the electrical circuits feeding from a fixed reference point tothe said door.

It has been customary in the pas to conduct electricity to circuitsmounted on a hinged member by means of flexible wires which are loopedabout the axis of the hinges of said member. Such wire loops are bulky,offering resistance to free movement of the hinged member. The wires, aswell as the wire insulation, are subject to fatigue failure, resultingin open circuits or in short circuits as the case may be.

In this invention, a printed circuit board is mounted to the hingedmember, said board bearing a concentric series of circular arcs. Thealternating metal conductors on the board are separated by insulatingspaces from each other. The board is mounted so asv to locate the centerof the concentric arcs of conductors at the axis of the hinge line ofthe hinged member.

A mating fixed set of spring mounted electrical contacts is mounted tothe frame of the hinged member, so as to enable each such fixed contactto engage a separate conductor arc of the printed circuit board mountedon the hinged member, regardless of the angular relation of the hingedmember to its fixed frame.

Each conductor of the electrical circuit mounted on the hinged member ispermanently connected to one of the arc conductors on the printedcircuit board, and similarly the corresponding fixed spring mountedcontact on the frame is permanently connected to the appropriateconductor of the feeder electrical circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of theinvention will be understood with reference to the following detaileddescription of an illustrative embodiment of the invention takentogether with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the connector unit fastened to a hinged member;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the contact unit fastened to the fixed frame;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the contact unit;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the terminal lugs of the contact unit;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the connector unit mounted to the hingedmember;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the complete mounted assembly; and

FIG. 7A is a side'view of the contact member inthe relaxed position; and

FIG. 7B is a side view of the contact member in the engaged position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to thedrawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elementsthroughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the male connector 10fastened by bolts 19 to door 17 which is mounted on hinge 15 to pivotabout axis 16.

The male connector 10 is formed of a sheet 12 of in.- sulating materialsuch as a thermosetting resin with bare metal conductors 11 mounted onone or both surfaces of the sheet 12. The conductors 11 are each in theform of a concentric circular arc, the center of which is the hinge axis16.

As shown in FIG. 5 each conductor 11 terminates at the door mounted endof the connector board 12 in a terminal 13 which may contain a hole andbe tinned for soldering to the wires of the electrical circuit which aremounted on the door 17.

The open edge 14 of the connector 10 is preferably formed in the shapeof a taper so as to enable ease of initial insertion into slot 31 of thefemale connector 40. The edge 14 is extended past the periphery of thearc of male connector to form a latch 21.

The female connector 40 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is formed of aslotted insulating material with sliding contact members 30 mountedinside of slot 31 to make electrical contact with the respectiveconductors 11 of the male electrical connector 10.

Slot 31 is enclosed by cover plate 23 which is slidably. mounted on theoutside end of connector 40 by means of pins 25 through slots 24 of thecover plate 23. Cover plate 23 is held in position by tension springs26, but may be withdrawn by grasping knob 22 when it is desired toextend the length of slot 31 so as to permit latching projection 21 ofthe male conductor 10 to enter or be withdrawn from engagement with thefemale connector 40.

As shown in FIG. 7, the necks 32 of contact members 30 are curved so asto maintain spring pressure of contact between members 30 of the femaleconnector 40 and conductors 11 of the male connector 10.

As shown in FIG. 4 the external terminals of contacts 30 are staggeredwith alternate lugs 28 projecting at one angle from the female connector40 while the alternate lugs 29 project at a more acute angle fromconnector 40 for ease in fastening of the wires 41 of the electricalcircuit to the female connector 40.

Referring to FIG. 6, rotation of the door 17 by use of door knob 49 tothe door position 17A rotates male connector 10 which is mounted in slot31 of female connector 40. If it is so desired, female connector 40 maybe mounted to the door, with male connector 10 mounted to the fixedframe.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of theinvention described herein without departing from the scope thereof, itis indicated that all which a bare electrical conductor is fastenedalong.

the path of a circular arc, with means to fasten an electrical wire toone end of said electrical conductor, said male connector beingadaptable to be fastened so as to align the center of said circular arcwith the hinge axis of the hinged member and a female connector formedof an insulating material, said female connector containing a slotthrough which the male connector may slide, with an electrical contactlocated so as to ride on the bare conductor of the male member, withmeans to fasten an electrical wire to said electrical contact, and

means to fasten the male connector and the female connector to theassembly of the hinged member assembly.

2. The device described in claim 1 in which the male connector isfastened to the hinged member and the female connector is fastened tothe fixed member.

3. The device described in claim 1 in which a plurality of electricalconductors are mounted on the male connect0r,each said conductor lyingon the path of a to engage a conductor on the male connector.

1. An electrical connector for maintaining continuity of an electricalcircuit between an electrical wire on a fixed member and an electricalwire on a hinged member, said connector consisting of a male connectorformed of an insulating material on which a bare electrical conductor isfastened along the path of a circular arc, with means to fasten anelectrical wire to one end of said electrical conductor, said maleconnector being adaptable to be fastened so as to align the center ofsaid circular arc with the hinge axis of the hinged member and a femaleconnector formed of an insulating material, said female connectorcontaining a slot through which the male connector may slide, with anelectrical contact located so as to ride on the bare conductor of themale member, with means to fasten an electrical wire to said electricalcontact, and means to fasten the male connector and the female connectorto the assembly of the hinged member assembly.
 2. The device describedin claim 1 in which the male connector is fastened to the hinged memberand the female connector is fastened to the fixed member.
 3. The devicedescribed in claim 1 in which a plurality of electrical conductors aremounted on the male connector, each said conductor lying on the path ofa concentric circular arc, with the center of said arcs being located atthe same point, and with each such conductor being insulated from theadjoining conductors.
 4. The device described in claim 3 in which aplurality of electrical contacts are mountEd in the female connector,each contact being insulated from the adjoining contacts, with eachcontact being located so as to engage a conductor on the male connector.